Corresponding with Jeju Scoria Film

This film was made to document the production of an experimental body of research artefacts which was made as part of McHugh’s contribution to The Clay Reader – Scoria, Scoria, Jeju Scoria, a modified artist in residence programme focusing on the creative potential of volcanic scoria soil from Jeju Island, Korea. The film traces the process of enquiry, from initial material tests to the production of a final series of vessel forms made using a process reminiscent of the pâte de verre technique of kiln forming glass frit.
The film aims to represent McHugh’s interaction with the scoria, described as a form of ‘correspondence’, where he gradually gained an understanding of how he could work with the material through a series of experiments. Although this was an almost alchemical process which involved attempting to tame this relatively non-compliant material, it was also essential to embrace the particular material properties of the scoria. The resulting pieces have a primitive, archaeological appearance, where the natural qualities of this volcanic material merge with cultural references.